Where reputations rise along with the doughnuts

Whether you love American-style, gluten-free and vegan, or classic golden rings of fried dough, here are five of Sydney’s best doughnut outlets.

Your eyes will never glaze over with the tasty treats at Sydney’s best doughnut shops. Picture: iStock

Whether you spell them doughnuts or donuts, enjoy American-style, gluten-free and vegan, or classic golden rings of fried dough, here are five of Sydney’s best where your eyes will never glaze over.

Grumpy Donuts

Camperdown & St Peters

Grumpy Donuts.

Grumpy by name, transcendent by nature. This inner west go-to hand makes fluffy, American-style doughnuts daily, with a rotating line-up of flavours that range from the classic pink-iced ring to the properly crazy. Expect cult combos like peanut butter and jelly, maple bacon and Biscoff, along with limited-edition collars and seasonal specials that keep Grumpy’s many diehard fans coming back. The dough rises overnight, the toppings are generous and the hype is both real and worth it. But it’s best to get in early, or you’ll be left futilely trying to get a bite of someone else’s cookies and cream doughnut.

grumpydonuts.com

Wellington Cake Shop

Bondi

Wellington Cake Shop.

Like a time capsule dusted in sugar, this old-school Bondi bakery has been rolling out jam-filled doughnuts since the 1970s, and its appeal hasn’t dulled a bit. No rainbow glazes or edible gold leaf here – this is the spot for classic golden rings of fried dough filled with tangy raspberry jam, rolled in crunchy sugar and served with a smile. It’s the kind of place your grandparents might’ve met at for a sugar-fuelled first date: the vibe is charmingly no-frills, the doughnuts are fresh and still warm by midmorning, and one bite is enough to send you back in time.

157 Bondi Rd, Bondi

Donut Garage

Marrickville

Donut Garage.

Part grease pit, part sugar haven, Donut Garage operates out of an auto repair shop – yes, really. At first glance, it’s all spanners and suspension; but every day from Wednesday to Sunday, it’s pumping out artisan doughnuts from a cabinet nestled between car hoists. The vibe is unmistakably inner west: industrial, unexpected and ridiculously good. Flavours like jam, brown butter and apple fritter rotate regularly, with the pineapple ring earning near-mythical status among regulars. Open from 10am until sold out, this is a pit-stop worth planning, and probably the only time you’ll want to eat something from a garage floor.

7 Mitchell St, Marrickville; donutgarage.co

Shortstop Coffee & Donuts

Barangaroo & Haymarket

Shortstop Coffee & Donuts.

This is where doughnuts go to graduate. The Sydney outposts of this Melbourne-born icon give the humble doughnut a grown-up glow-up. Forget gaudy toppings – these beauties lean elegant, with flavours like lemon curd and poppy seed or mandarin and basil. The cake doughnuts are exactly as dense as you want them to be – comprehensively glazed – while the yeast-raised varieties are soft and stretchy. Everything’s made in-house, with the busy open kitchen adding to the experience. Add a sleek fit-out, and you’ve got a doughnut spot that knows sometimes it’s better to whisper than shout.

short-stop.com.au

Nutie Donuts

Dulwich Hill

Nutie Donuts.

Irrefutable proof that gluten-free and vegan doesn’t have to mean boring, Nutie’s doughnuts are just as irresistible as their egg and dairy-filled counterparts. Among the many colourful treats packing the display cases, you’ll find a line-up of doughnut flavours that might include double choc-raspberry, or bright blue Cookie Monster cake rings. Come on the weekend, and you’ll have a shot at the famous chewy-centred mochi doughnuts, glazed with anything from pistachio praline to strawberry with sprinkles. Everything’s handmade daily, with a commitment to using natural ingredients, making this a no-brainer for coeliacs, vegans or just the doughnut curious.

496 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill